|
Your ad placed
here. See the Ad Rates
page for both the web site and newsletter rates.
Contests,
grants, markets that pay writers may list at no charge...as long as they pay.
Send to Hope.
| |
Feast, not famine: Re-evaluating your day job
by Laura Roberts
"Don't quit your day job" is usually meant as an insult, directed at
writers who are too inexperienced to take the leap into freelancing.
But what if this tired phrase were actually the key to new
opportunity?
Since graduating from university with a Creative Writing degree in
2007, I've tested my pen with a wide variety of assignments. From
writing a regular column to copywriting to freelancing for many
different print and online media outlets, I've tried it all. For me,
the writing business is most interesting when I have the chance to try
something new.
Of course, freelancing is also a risky business that most writers
describe as “feast or famine.” So, to supplement my freelancing income
I will occasionally take day jobs -- part-time work that pays a modest
salary and keeps me, my artist husband and our lazy cat out of the
poorhouse. The work is rarely writing-related, but it affords me a
cash cushion that enables me to concentrate on my writing without
worrying about mounting bills. I keep on writing in my "spare" time
(as my employer sees it), but continue to work towards my freelancing
goals on my own time.
Recently I took a day job at a culinary school, to further emphasize
the “feast” end of the cycle. (Occasional perks include sampling
students' creations, straight from the test kitchens, which is always
delicious!) The school was transitioning from being small,
locally-owned operation to becoming a nationally-recognized college
with a second campus in Boulder, Colorado. I wondered if there might
be any opportunity to add a bit of writing to my administrative
duties, following the launch of the school's new website. As it turned
out, my employer was looking for someone to write weekly blogs for the
site, with a concentration on themes of fresh food and the Austin
chefs who create it. Sweet!
Since my employer had already seen my CV and knew I wrote for a living
in my “off” hours, they asked to see a few of my writing samples. I
showed them entries from my local "cheap eats" blog, Shoestring
Austin, which features restaurant and product reviews, recipes and
interviews with other foodies to get the inside scoop on all things
food-related for folks on a budget. After speaking with the head
office, and convincing them I was ready and willing do the job, I was
hired as their Austin blogger.
At present, I've got a lot of leeway in what I can write about.
Anything local is great, and when I can work in a school-related
angle, I do. I recently wrote a story about a graduate of the school
who's using Indie-Go-Go to raise money for starting her own macaron
truck, as well as an article about why I love poutine (a
French-Canadian fast-food favorite), and where to find its closest
approximation in Austin. The gig is a mix between food blogging and
marketing, and it's great fun to keep up with local food news and talk
to alumni who will one day become successful chefs.
In short: I took the sage advice of those who say “Don't quit your day
job” quite literally. Instead of leaving my job to focus on my
writing, I sniffed out the opportunities that were right under my
nose. Sometimes the sweet smell of success really is stewing right in
your own kitchen.
--
Bio: Laura Roberts currently blogs for the Auguste Escoffier School of
Culinary Arts (http://www.escoffier.edu)
in Austin, Texas. She is also
the editor of the cheap-eats blog Shoestring Austin
(http://shoestringaustin.com), and
the literary rebellion Black Heart
Magazine (http://blackheartmagazine.com),
and is currently working on
her first novel, entitled Naked Montreal.
| |
A Carolina Slade Mystery
www.chopeclark.com
Personal one-to-one tuition in story writing success
by a PhD in creative writing.
Writer's Digest 101 Best
Websites for Writers - 2001-2011
The famous Bylines Desk
Calendar is out for 2012. Get your now to manage your writing year right.
|
